Getting Started

School: Isenberg

The information below is meant to guide first-year students in getting started with this major and choosing appropriate courses. More advanced students interested in this major would also likely start with proposed foundation/pre-requisite courses. Please refer to the Major page located in the left menu bar to learn about the full major requirements.

How to Explore the Major

Suggested General Education and Other Courses

All Undergraduates are required to satisfy the General Education Requirements. Guidelines for students are available at https://www.umass.edu/gened. Students should choose a wide variety of Gen Ed courses, providing a broad experience.

Any general education course that would fit the student's schedule is ideal. The BBA degree program includes the Breadth Requirement, 18 credits of non-business elective coursework (students entering spring 2022 or earlier need 21 credits). One course for the breadth requirement may be taken with the pass/fail grading option per semester. Only one Economics or one Resource Economics course may be used to satisfy credits for this requirement. Since admission to the BBA Program is highly competitive, it is especially important to explore alternative majors many of which may require a foreign language. Please note that students entering UMass Amherst in September 2022 or later do not have the option to change into a BBA major within the Isenberg School. The two Bachelor of Science programs in Isenberg are Hospitality & Tourism Management, and Sport Management and have an on-campus application process.

Suggested Major and Pre-requisite courses for Students who Entered UMass Amherst Prior to September 2022 only.

Required prerequisites, including a recommended sequence for any of the BBA majors:

  • Three predictor courses, one of which MUST be MATH 127 or higher level calculus (i.e., MATH 131), are required by the end of the first year. The two remaining predictor courses are typically ECON 103 (or RES-ECON 102), and ECON 104.
  • One predictor should be added per semester after the first year, thus first semester sophomore students need four completed predictor courses to apply, second-semester sophomores need five predictor courses, and juniors need to have completed six predictor courses.
  • RES-ECON 212 or STATISTC 240 and ACCOUNTG 221** during the sophomore year.
    NOTE: Although current Isenberg majors usually complete ACCOUNTG 222 by the end of the sophomore year, prospective students may take Accounting 222 in the junior year.

    * RES-ECON 212 (or STATISTC 240) is the prerequisite for OIM 301.
    ** Non-Isenberg students can submit an online override request for ACCOUNTG 221 or 222 or any other BBA Isenberg predictor course(s). The override form is available until the start of the semester: www.isenberg.umass.edu/programs/undergraduate/on-campus/advising/course-override-form. ACCOUNTG 221 may be easier to enroll in during the Spring semester.

Minimum GPA or grades in prerequisite courses (if any):
Isenberg has shifted to a holistic approach in reviewing our on-campus application process with Academics still playing an important factor. Although a minimum GPA requirement has not been set, students should strive to achieve a 3.8 GPA or above; complete MATH 127, ECON 103 (or RES-ECON 102), and ECON 104; then apply to the BBA Program as soon as possible, in order have the best chance of acceptance. This GPA may go up or down in any given semester, depending on the strength of the applicant pool.

Required prerequisites for the Hospitality & Tourism Management Major:

Complete three predictors from the list below:

  1. HT-MGT 100 Intro to Hospitality & Tourism Management
  2. One of the following:
    • ECON 103 Intro to Microeconimics
    • RES-ECON 102 Intro to Resource Economics
    • ECON 104 Intro to Macroeconomics
  3. One of the following:
    • MATH 121 Linear Methods & Probability for Business
    • STATISTC 111 Elementary Statistics
    • STATISTC 240 Intro to Statistics
    • RES-ECON 212 Introductory Statistics for the Social Sciences

Required prerequisites for the Sport Management Major:

Complete four predictor courses from the list below - must be completed by the end of the term the student is applying:

  1. SPORTMGT 210 Intro to Sport Management
  2. One of the following - One of these must be completed by the end of the term the student is applying:
    • SPORTMGT 200 Sociology of Sport & Physical Activity
    • SPORTMGT 202 History of Sport & Physical Activity
  3. MATH 121 Linear Methods & Probability for Business or higher level math course
  4. One of the following:
    • ECON 103 Intro to Microeconomics
    • RES-ECON 102 Intro to Resource Economics
    • ECON 104 Intro to Macroeconomics
    • STATISTC 240 Intro to Statistics
    • RES-ECON 212 Introductory Statistics for the Social Sciences
    • OIM 240 Business Data Analysis

How to Declare/Change into the Major

For current students who entered UMass Amherst prior to September 2022: This major is by application, therefore students must apply through an on-campus process to be admitted and declare a BBA major within the Isenberg School. The major may have criteria for admission/acceptance into the major (e.g., specific courses, GPA).

Interested students can learn about the application process virtually by visiting our site at www.isenberg.umass.edu/programs/undergraduate/on-campus/admissions/current-UMass-students. Please note that students who entered UMass Amherst in September 2022 or later cannot apply to the BBA degree program in Isenberg. Students who entered UMass Amherst prior to September 2022 may apply to the BBA program during the semester in which they complete the required number of predictor courses; this depends on their term count and one of these predictor courses must be MATH 127 Calculus for Life & Social Sciences. Applications are available on our website in early November and early April. Application deadlines are December 1 and May 1. Admission decisions will be made after grades appear on SPIRE by mid-January and mid-June. First-year, first-semester students can only apply at the end of their second semester.

By the end of the semester in which they apply

  • First-semester sophomores should have completed ECON 103 (or RES-ECON 102), ECON 104, MATH 127 (or higher level calculus), and RES-ECON 212 (or STATISTC 240) at the time of application.
  • Second-semester sophomores should have completed ACCOUNTG 221 in addition to all of the previously listed courses for first-semester sophomores.
  • Juniors should have completed at least six of the predictor courses. Only one course, the sixth predictor, may be chosen from the following list: OIM 301, FINANCE 301, MANAGMNT 301, MARKETNG 301.

Students who apply as juniors generally should have completed at least six of the predictor courses. ACCOUNTG 221 must be the fifth predictor. Only one course, the sixth predictor, may be chosen from among the following list: OIM 301, FINANCE 301, MANAGMNT 301, MARKETNG 301. Completing these courses does not guarantee admission. Realistically, students entering their junior year without having gained admission should consider other majors. Students who entered UMass Amherst in September 2022 or later cannot apply to the BBA degree program.

Summary of Requirements for the Major

Range of credits required: 60-72.

Refer to the Major page located in the left menu bar to learn more.

The Isenberg School of Management offers a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Degree with five majors: Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, and Operations & Information Management. Students can select a major during the major declaration timeframe each semester after meeting with an academic advisor about the specific requirements for each major.

Is there a minor?
A five-course Minor in Business is available to non-Isenberg students. Contact the Isenberg Undergraduate Programs Office at 413-545-5610, undergrad@isenberg.umass.edu, or visit https://www.isenberg.umass.edu/programs/undergraduate/on-campus/academics for information on how to apply.

For further information, contact:
Isenberg Undergraduate Programs Office, N230
Isenberg School of Management
(413) 545-5610
undergrad@isenberg.umass.edu
www.isenberg.umass.edu/programs/undergraduate/on-campus/advising/course-override-form
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